An Ode To 2014's Chicest Sweets

When one thinks of haute couture, a jelly donut or a slice of red velvet cake doesn't typically spring to mind but 2014 was the year that made dessert de rigueur. Though runway models remained as waif-like as ever, desserts became a saccharine accessory in the same manner as a Fendi Peekabo bag or an pair of Isabel Marant Beckett wedge sneakers. Blame it on Katy Perry, who consistently wears her dessert, or Blake Lively's well-publicized adoration of baking, but sweets became a less vilified substance this year.

However, not every dessert was a covetable accoutrement for the fashion set; if you strode down the street, brownie in hand, no one would give you a second glance. However, clutching one of Dominique Ansel's heart-shaped pretzels with pink icing created for the launch of DKNY's My NY scent, and you may as well be toting a Chanel milk carton for the attention you'd receive.

As with fashion, presentation was everything in the dessert world this year; bite-sized treats were a feast for the eyes and the mouth, and color scheme was absolutely essential to the success of each popular confection. Read on for 2014's most fashionable treats, because a Proenza Schouler cross-body bag is infinitely more chic when paired with a Cronut.

1. The Cronut

Dominique Ansel created a minor hysteria with his Cronut, which artfully melded the flaky, melt away texture of a croissant with the rich cakiness of a donut. The most urbane of the celebrity fashion set clamored to get ahold of the treat; just ask style icon Emma Roberts, who was brutally rebuffed for trying to cut the Cronut line.

2. The Pastel Layer Cake

Ombre was in for 2014, and not just in the form of highlights or clothing dye. If a cake was to be taken seriously, it better have been tinted in deepening ombre shades for each layer, as demonstrated by Lauren Conrad for her eponymous blog.

3. The Mason Jar Parfait

Mason Jars became the It kitchen and cocktail accessory this year; if you weren't equipped with one to encircle your tea lights, use as a cocktail shaker, or serve beautifully layered desserts, you were behind the times. Needless to say, Instagram and Pinterest were overrun with images of the most beautifully sectioned Mason Jar parfaits, each so exquisitely rendered they appeared almost too good to eat. In other words, the ideal edible accessory.

4. The Macaron

If you haven't tried a French macaron by New Years Day 2015, you've failed in executing a significant life experience. Concocted perhaps most beautifully by Laduree, macarons were the perfect two-bite treat for the fashion community this year, whether emblazoned with a company logo or gifted as post-runway treats. If you're unconvinced of the sartorial importance of the macaron, simply take note from Gossip Girls' Blair Waldorf. After a trying breakup, Leighton Meester's character indulges in a nonstop feast of macarons to cure her lust — perhaps the only glamorous breakup food in existence.

5. The Cookie Shot

Dominique Ansel's Cookie Shot scored another foodie home run, a decadent and witty pairing of a shot glass-shaped cookie and Tahitian Vanilla-flavored milk. Neighbors stars Zach Efron and Seth Rogan were fans, and the popular treat's recipe was even replicated by PopSugar.

6. The Cake Truffle

The team at Momofuku Milk Bar broke gustatory records with the invention of the Cake Truffle, a tiny, round ball of decadent goodness flavored like Birthday Cake, Pretzel Cake, or a selection of other flavors. After all, nothing is more chic than a delicious miniature dessert you can pop in your purse for a mid-Fashion Week energizing snack.

7. The Miniature Cupcake

One could argue that the cupcake itself became fashionable when Sex And The City's Carrie Bradshaw tucked into a Magnolia treat on an episode of the show, but 2014 saw the popularization of the miniature version. Amongst the desserts admirers? 2 Broke Girls stars Beth Behrs and Kat Dennings, who portray cupcake chefs on the popular series.

Images: Getty Images